School
changes
course
The sole EPNER Puma will re-enter service with flexible displays
GERT KROMHOUT/ISTRES
BASED AT Istres airbase in the south of France, the French Flight Test School EPXER (Ecole des Personnel Navigant d'Essais et de Reception) is one of the few-
such governmental flight test schools in the
world. Today, the school, one of France's best
known aeronautical institutions, is having to
adapt to tlie increasingly international character
ofaerospace.
The school is open to military and civilian
students and is part of the Centre d'Essais en Vol
(CEV), the national aerospace research estab
lishment that reports to the Systems Evaluation
and Test Directorate (DCE-Direction des
Centres d'Expertiseetd'Essais), itself part of the
DGA (Ministry of Defence).
The dual role brings important
advantages, according to
EPNER deputy director
Jacques Dumoulin. "Our
instructors come from the
CEV, so they are familiar with
the latest technology," he says.
"Additionally, because the stu
dents use the CEVs facilities,
they become familiar with the
newest test systems and can use
its varied fleet of test aircraft,"
he adds.
Based in the south of France,
near Marseilles, Istres is the principal French
flight test base and as such has the most modern
flight test equipment available. Apart from good
weather conditions and a 5,000m (16,400ft)
runway, it has at its disposal a wide range of facil
ities such as simulators, large scale instrument
ed test ranges, a telemetry receiving centre, a
dedicated flight test control centre - capable of
handling three tests with up to 15 aircraft simul
taneously- and a tracking centre.
RANGE OF COURSES
It also has access to other CEV facilities located
in Bretigny and Cazaux, including an aero-
medical research centre, systems to measure
radar and infrared signatures, and much more.
The yearly 10-month experimental flight test
course at Istres is open for rotary and fixed-wing
pilots, flight test engineers and specialists and
air traffic controllers, the latter category being
added just two years ago. There is also an instru-
mentflight rules (IFR) flight test course, but this
is open only to experienced French helicopter
and fixed-wing pilots, because of specific IFR
regulations in France. For fixed-wing pilots
who do not need to take the full course, a short
er, six month-long light aircraft flight test
course is available.
A new fixed and rotary wing course begins in
1999, when the EPXER sets up a non-experi
mental flight test course - lasting five months -
for pilots, flight test mechanics and specialists.
"With this new course, we can better meet
industry requirements," says EPNER director
Lt Col Bertrand Zundel. "In France, we have
two categories of flight test: class A is for all types
of tests; class B is for tests in aircraft where the
flight envelope is opened already. For instance,
when a new radar has been installed, we modify
testbed aircraft in class A. Testing the radar itself
comes later as a class B test. This is a unique
course not taught in other schools," he says.
The minimum requirement for student
pilots is 1,200-1,400 flight hours. "We recom
mend that foreign authorities check the candi
date's abilities first. A pilot must not be too old
because the course is very demanding. They
have to work on the ground, fly and then assess
the flight. Older pilots may be rusty and have
46 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 2 - 8 December 1998